Processing of brewers&#39; wort



slepf. 3, 1963 l Filed Nov. 14. 19Go' M/VE/VTORS United States Patentice 3,102,813 PRCESSING F BREW/ERS WORT David Teignmoutli Shore,Banstead, and George Frederick p Bird, Sheffield, England, assignors toThe A.P.V. Colnpany Limited Fiied Nov. 14, 196i), Ser. No. 68,969

, Ciaims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 20, 1959 Claims. (Cl.99-52) This invention relates` to the processing of brewers wort byeither the batch method of `operation or, more especially, thecontinuous lprocessing method in which Wort is in continuous movementthrough the plant from the mashing stage, through the boiling stage andthe hopping stage to the fermentation stage, the wort being `convertedduring the movement from sweet Wort to 'hopped wort.

In such a method, the hopped wort is iat present clarified or filteredbefore reaching the fermentation stage "without serious loss of valuablewort constituents.

Broadly stated, the present invention consists in effecting a`filtration of the wort by causing that wort to flow through la hop bed4which is quiescent so that it operates as a filter bed as well asensuring the extraction of valuable `hopping substances.

Wort, whether before or after the primary hopping stage, in passingthrough such la quiescent hop bed is subjected to an efficient filteraction without the quality I of the hot wort being impaired. It ispreferred to pass the wort through a -bed formed by spent hops (i.e.,hops that have been .previously used for theprimary hopping f stage)before passing the wort to the main hop bed which contains fresh hops.In this Way, the efficiencyof hop extraction is considerably improved.`

The form-ation of the filtering hop bed in Iany particular filter and/or` extractor vessel can be achieved by causing wort which has beenhopped in a Vessel to pass back to the inlet of the vessel, thus causinga recirculation of the wort in the vessel and eventually the formationof the quiescent filter bed, the precipitate-d hot trub being uniformlydispersed in the hop material.

The invention is illustrated the -accompanyingdrawings which shows indiagrammatic form the parts of two installations: in FIGURE l is shownan arrangement in which ra single hop-containing vessel is use-d bothfor the hop enrichment jof the'sweet wort and for the olarification orfiltration of that wort Aby recirculation: in FIGURE 2 is shown anarrangement in' which three hop extraction vessels are used with controlvalves enabling any one of the vessels to be used as the primary hopextraction vessel land the others to be used (after being employed forthe primary hop extraction) respectively for filtration and re-chargingwith fresh hops.

In FIGURE 1 sweet wort passes from the usual mashing stage through apipeline 1 to a sparging head 2 in a hopping vessel 3 lin which hops arecontained to form la filter bed 4; the filter `bed rests `on aforaminated plate 5 below which a connection is established by aWithdrawal pipe 6 which is connected to` a pump 7, preferably of thecentrifugal type. i l

The discharge side of the pump is connected via valves 3,lil2,8l3`Patented Sept. 3, 19653 8, 9 to pipes lil, 1l; the pipe 16 isa returnpipe extending back to the supply line 1; the pipe 11 extends on toapparatus of any usual form `for the continual treatment of the Wort;such apparatus can be la hop extraction vessel such 4as that shown at 3for the further hopenrichment of the Wort now claried by the hop bed inthe vessel 3, or to a flash vessel which causes the wort to fiash-olcertain volatile impurities.

Thus, by manipulation of the valves 8, 9l some` part of the wort fiowcan betaken back to the supply pipe -1 so as to be recirculated throughthe hop bed 4 for the purpose Vof being filtered and clarified by thatbed, and some part of the flow can be passed on for further treatment.

Alternatively, the valves S, 9 can be operated to cause the wort flow toIbe continuously recirculated in the 'vessel until the wort output is ofsufficient clarity due to ltration, whereupon the valves can be:operated to direct the filtered hopped wort through the line 11 forfurther treatment.

In FIGURE 2 is shown an installation using three hopping vessels 12, 13,14; in this case the supply pipe 1 `has three branc es `15, `16, 17`extend-ing via control valves 15, 16a, 17u respectively to the threevessels; the Vessels are connected through flow regulating valves 13a,lh, 18C to a discharge line 18.

This line has `a branch connection 19 to a recirculation pump 2i), theoutlet of which is taken back through a pipeline 21 to the supply sideof the vessels under the control of valves 21a, 2lb, 21C. The `line 18has ia second branch 22 ,by which the hopped 'and clarified wort' ispassed on .for further treatment. The flow between the two lines 1S, 19is controlled by diversion valves 19a, 19h, 19C, the hopped andclarified wort being moved in the line 22 byla pump 23.

The varionsvalves enable the sweet and/or hopped wort flow `to be`diverted selectively so Ias to cause any one of the vessels 12, 13, 14to be usedas the primary hop extraction vessel to hop the sweet Wort,and the other Vessel or vessels as a filter vessel; the valves can thenbe operated to switch that vessel into the hopped wort flow iine to actas a lter when the hops in that vessel have become spent so far as theprimary extraction isconcerned.k The control valves would also enableany on'e ofthe vessels to :be shut down to enable the hops, when spentby a hoppingand filtering action, to be replaced by fresh hops so thatby manipulationof the valves, this recharged vessel can be brought backinto service las a primary hop extraction vessel and so on.

In the arrangement shown,V the vessel 12 will be regarded as the primaryhop `extraction vessel containing a fresh charge of hops; the vessel 13can be regarded as havingbeen used for the primary hop extraction and socontains a hop bed which can be used for ltratio'n;

the vessel 14 can be regarded as containing a hop bed which is spent oris otherwise out of commission. The valves for operating the system inthis manner would be 4 actuated as follows:

The following valves would be opened: 16E, la, 15b, 19h, 22a, 21a.

The following valves would be closed: 153-, 17a, 18C, 19a, 19C, 19d,19e, 21?, 2lb.

Thus, the flow of Wort is from the `line 1 via the valve 16e toclarification in the vessel 13, thence via the valves i3 and 19h to theline 19 from which the wort is delivered by the pump 2@ to the line 2.1,land thence via the valve 21a to the vessel ii12 containing the freshhop bed. The hopped and filtered wort now passes via `the valves 18a,22a, line 22 to the pump 23 which passes on lthe clarified hopped wortfor delivery and further treatment; in the meantime, the vessel 14 isisolated entirely from the flow lhop bed.

so that its spent hop bed can be removed and replaced by a fresh hop bedwhich, by manipulation of the valves, can thus be brought into hoppingservice in replacement of thevessel 13 which will itself replace thevessel 12, and so on. v y

After a predetermined time cycle, the valves are set to enable`filtration to occur in vessel 12 and extraction in vessel 14; to achievethis, the following valves would be opened: 15a, 18a, 19a, 21", y18,19d. The following valves would be closed: 21a, 2lb, 19,1721, 19h, 19,19e, 18h, 22a.

Thus, the flow of wort is from the line 1 via the valve 152L toclarification in the vessel 12 containing the spent hops, thence via thevalves 18%.19a to the line 19 from which the wont is delivered by thepump 2i? to the line 21, and thencevia the valve 21C to the vessel 14containing the fresh hop bed. The hopped clarified wort now passes viathe 'valves 18, 19d to the line 212 and to the pump 23 v have an overallcontinuous forward progression to the fermentation stage. Thus thefiltering action of this invention can with advantage be applied to thecontinuous processing of wort by the invention described and claimed inthe specification lof Patent No. 2,948,617.

It will be understood that the hopped filtered wort will,

, on leaving the filtering stage, pass through the usual cooling stagesbefore reaching the fermentation stage.

We claim: v l. A method for clarifying and hopping sweet brewers i wortcomprising establishing a plurality of separate quiescent hop beds;clarifying the wort by owing it 4through a first hop bed, being of hopswhich have previously been 'subjected to the passage of worttherethrough; and su'osequently hopping the so clarified wort by flowingit through a secondhop bed, being of fresh hops.

2. Avmethod of clarifying 'and hopping sweet brewers Wort comprisingVestablishing a plurality of separate quiescent hop beds; clarifying thewort by -owing it through la, iirst hop bed, being of hops `which havepreviously been subjected to the passage of worttherethrough;subsequently hopping the so clarified wort by flowing itthrough a second hop bed, being of fresh hops; and, when said second hop-bed has become spent,

switching the flow of wort to ow firstly through said secondhop bed andthen through a thirdY and fresh bed of hops.' t

3. A method of clarifying and hopp-ing sweet brewers `wort comprisingestablishing a plurality of separate quies- ,Y cent hop beds; clarifyingthe wort by flowing it through \a first hop bed, being of hops whichhave previously been subjected to passage of wort therethrough;subsequently hopping the so clarified wort by flowing it through asecond hop bed, being of fresh hops; and, when said second hop bed hasbecome spent, diverting the ow of wort from said first hop bed andswitching the ow of wvort to tiow rstly through said second hop bed and-then through a third and fresh bed of hops. v

4. A method according to claim 3 in which saidjrst hop bed is renewedwhile the ow of wort is passing firstly through said second hop bed andthen through said third bed, and in which, whenisaid second'hop bedbecomes spent, the iiow is shifted Ito pass firstly through l said thirdbed and then through the renewed rst bed while said second bed is beingvrenewed, whereby the wort will flow continuously firstly through a bedof spent hops, which previously have been subjectedk to passage of worttherethrough, and then through a bed of fresh hops.

5. Apparatus for producing hopped hopped wort discharging means; andmeans comprising ducts and valves connectedV to said Supply means, saidvessels and said dischargingmeans, said valvesbeing selectively settabieto establish: a first flow path condition in which thewort is directedto flow from said supply means through a iirst of said vessels out ofthebottom thereof and then through a second of said vessels out of thebottom thereof and hence to Vsaid discharging means, the third of saidvessels then being cut off from communication with said supply means,said first and second vessels and said discharging means; a second flowpath condition in which the wort is directed to flow from said `supplymeans through said second of said vessels out of the bottom thereof andthen through said third of ,said

vessels out of the bottom thereof and thence to said discharging means,said iirst of said vessels then being cut off from communication withsaid supply means, said second and third vessels and said dischargingmeans; and a third Iflow path condition in which the wort is directed toflow from said supply means through said third of said vessels out ofthe bottom thereof and `then through` said rfirst of said vessels out ofthe bottom thereof and thence to said discharging means, said second ofsaidvessels then being cut off from communication with said supplymeans, said rst and third vessels and said dischargingv n means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HaightJuly 16,1867

GriffithsV Feb. 24, 1891 Geiger'et-al. -c Jan.A 3, 19611 OTHERREFERENCES v vand clarified.. brewers wort, comprising three vesselscontaining respec-V tive quiescent beds` of hops; sweet wort supplymeans;

1. A METHOD FOR CLARIFYING AND HOPPING SWEET BREWERS WORT COMPRISINGESTABLISHING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE QUIESCENT HOP BEDS, CLARIFYING THEWORT BY FLOWING IT THROUGN A FIRST HOP BED, BEING OF HOPS WHICH HAVEPREVIOUSLY BEEN